The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa
Despite calls to increase fruit consumption, food and nutrition security strategies often overlook the inclusion of fruit trees in the rural food systems. Hence, this study investigated the role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security among rural households in the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002546 |
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| author | Fortunate Nosisa Zaca Unity Chipfupa Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo Lavhelesani Rodney Managa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi |
| author_facet | Fortunate Nosisa Zaca Unity Chipfupa Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo Lavhelesani Rodney Managa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi |
| author_sort | Fortunate Nosisa Zaca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite calls to increase fruit consumption, food and nutrition security strategies often overlook the inclusion of fruit trees in the rural food systems. Hence, this study investigated the role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security among rural households in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Descriptive statistics, household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), household food insecurity access prevalence (HFIAP), food consumption score (FSC), principal component analysis (PCA), and ordered logit model were used to analyze survey data from 305 households. The results showed that only 29.8% of the households were food secure, while the rest were either mildly (36.4%), moderately (27.9%), or severely (5.9%) food insecure. Moreover, 4.6% of the households consumed poor diets, 23.0% of the sampled households were at the borderline, and 72.5% consumed an acceptable diversity of food groups. The ordered logit model findings showed that growing fruit trees, consumption of wild fruits, household size, off-farm income, access to irrigation, access to training, livestock ownership, and psychological capital significantly influenced household food insecurity and nutrition security. The study recommends the implementation of awareness campaigns promoting the planting of fruit trees and the consumption of locally available wild fruits. There is a need for nutrition-related training programs and workshops to enhance awareness of the importance of growing and consuming fruits among rural households. The collective participation of the private sector, government, researchers, civil society organizations, policymakers, politicians, and farming rural households in building awareness is also recommended. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ad8ea618bb34023856cb62d108ce274 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ad8ea618bb34023856cb62d108ce2742025-08-20T03:25:08ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-06-012110188310.1016/j.jafr.2025.101883The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South AfricaFortunate Nosisa Zaca0Unity Chipfupa1Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo2Lavhelesani Rodney Managa3Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi4Rob Slotow5Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi6African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa; Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa; Human Sciences Research Council, Africa Institute of South Africa, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa; Corresponding author. African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa.Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of South Africa, 28 Pioneer Ave, Florida Park, Roodepoort, 1709, South AfricaDepartment of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 220101, Nigeria; Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9301, South AfricaHuman Sciences Research Council, Africa Institute of South Africa, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria, 0002, South AfricaCentre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene, Health and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E7HT, United KingdomCentre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South AfricaCentre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa; Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa; Corresponding author. Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa.Despite calls to increase fruit consumption, food and nutrition security strategies often overlook the inclusion of fruit trees in the rural food systems. Hence, this study investigated the role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security among rural households in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Descriptive statistics, household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS), household food insecurity access prevalence (HFIAP), food consumption score (FSC), principal component analysis (PCA), and ordered logit model were used to analyze survey data from 305 households. The results showed that only 29.8% of the households were food secure, while the rest were either mildly (36.4%), moderately (27.9%), or severely (5.9%) food insecure. Moreover, 4.6% of the households consumed poor diets, 23.0% of the sampled households were at the borderline, and 72.5% consumed an acceptable diversity of food groups. The ordered logit model findings showed that growing fruit trees, consumption of wild fruits, household size, off-farm income, access to irrigation, access to training, livestock ownership, and psychological capital significantly influenced household food insecurity and nutrition security. The study recommends the implementation of awareness campaigns promoting the planting of fruit trees and the consumption of locally available wild fruits. There is a need for nutrition-related training programs and workshops to enhance awareness of the importance of growing and consuming fruits among rural households. The collective participation of the private sector, government, researchers, civil society organizations, policymakers, politicians, and farming rural households in building awareness is also recommended.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002546Food insecurityNutrition securityFruit treesRural householdsOrdered logit modelPsychological capital |
| spellingShingle | Fortunate Nosisa Zaca Unity Chipfupa Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo Lavhelesani Rodney Managa Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi Rob Slotow Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Food insecurity Nutrition security Fruit trees Rural households Ordered logit model Psychological capital |
| title | The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa |
| title_full | The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa |
| title_short | The role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households: A case study of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa |
| title_sort | role of fruit trees in reducing food insecurity and improving nutrition security of rural households a case study of the kwazulu natal province south africa |
| topic | Food insecurity Nutrition security Fruit trees Rural households Ordered logit model Psychological capital |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325002546 |
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